Safer vehicle docking with sensors doing the guiding

Crawford Amber has introduced a new sensor system which has been designed specifically to help lorries reverse safely towards loading bays. Called hafaEYE, the system comprises a sensor mounted beneath the dock leveller which is interlocked to an automatic “traffic light” fixed to the outside of the loading bay.

The red, yellow and green lights guide drivers precisely over the last 2m of the docking process, virtually eliminating the risk of damage to the vehicle, building façade and loading bay while optimising the speed with which the operation can be completed.

The sensor activates the green light once the vehicle is 2m away from the loading bay and then switches progressively through green and yellow and then yellow and red as the lorry passes through the 1.6m, 1.2m and 70cm stages of the approach. When only the red light shows, the driver knows that the vehicle has reached the exact docking position – 20cm from the loading bay.

The system also detects when people are between the vehicle and the ramp, and signals a warning to the driver.

Once unloading or loading process has been completed, the traffic light switches to green to show that it is safe for the vehicle to pull away.